1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a refrigerator, and more particularly, to a home-bar door stopping structure for a refrigerator which limits the rotation of a home-bar door for selectively opening or closing a home-bar installed on the refrigerator.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As the refrigerator becomes larger, a dispenser and a home-bar have been recently installed on a side-by-side refrigerator. The home-bar is a device for gaining access to beverages stored in a refrigerating chamber from the outside without opening a refrigerating chamber door of the refrigerator. The home-bar can be selectively opened or closed by a home-bar door.
FIG. 1 shows the front external appearance of a conventional side-by-side refrigerator, and FIG. 2 shows a side sectional view of a home-bar stopping structure according to the related art.
As described in the figures, a storage space is defined within a main body 11 of a side-by-side refrigerator (hereinafter, referred to as “refrigerator”). The storage space is divided into right and left sections which in turn are formed into freezing and refrigerating chambers, respectively. The freezing and refrigerating chambers are selectively opened or closed by freezing and refrigerating chamber doors 13 and 15, respectively. The freezing and refrigerating chamber doors 13 and 15 are hinged to both sides of a front surface of the main body 11, respectively.
A dispenser 17 for taking water and ice from the outside is provided on the front surface of the freezing chamber door 13. The dispenser 17 is installed in the main body 11 and connected to an ice maker (not shown) for storing ice therein and a water tank (not shown) for storing water therein.
An opening 19 for communicating the refrigerating chamber with the outside is formed at a position on the front surface of the refrigerating chamber door 15. A desired accommodating space 21 is also provided behind the refrigerating chamber door 15 at a location corresponding to the opening 19. Beverages and the like are stored in the accommodating space 21.
The opening 19 is selectively opened or closed by a home-bar door 23. The home-bar door 23 is formed to have a shape corresponding to the opening 19. Both sides of a lower end of the home-bar door 23 are connected to both ends of a lower end of the opening 19, respectively, through hinges H1. Accordingly, the home-bar door 23 can be pivoted on the lower end thereof in a vertical direction.
A front external appearance of the home-bar door 23 is defined by a door panel 24 which is made of the same material as a door panel of the door 15. A rear external appearance of the home-bar door 23 is defined by a door liner 25. An insulation layer 26 is also provided in a space defined between the door panel 24 and the door liner 25.
In the meantime, a stopper 19s is provided on the lower end of the opening 19. The stopper 19s prevents the home-bar door 23 from being pivoting at an angle greater than a predetermined angle, when the accommodating space 21 has been opened.
The stopper 19s is provided at a position spaced apart upward from the lower end of the opening 19 by a predetermined height corresponding to a thickness of the home-bar door 23. The stopper 19s is formed lengthwise along a right and left direction and protrudes forward by a predetermined length. Accordingly, when the home-bar door 23 shields the accommodating space 21, the home-bar door 23 can be pivoted until the lower end of the door liner 25 is brought into close contact with and supported by a lower surface of the stopper 19s. 
Further, a pivoting space S1 is provided in the refrigerating chamber door 15 at a position corresponding to a lower portion of the home-bar door 23. The pivoting space S1 serves to prevent the lower end of the home-bar door 23 from interfering with the lower end of the opening 19 when the home-bar door 23 is pivoted.
A handle 27 is also provided at a certain position on a front surface of the home-bar door 23. The handle 27 is a portion which is gripped by a user when the user intends to open the home-bar door 23. Further, a locking device (not shown) is provided to prevent the home-bar door 23 from being inadvertently rotated when the accommodating space 21 is closed by the home-bar door 23.
However, the related art home-bar door stopping structure so configured has the following problem.
That is, the stopper 19s for limiting the pivot range of the home-bar door 23 has been formed lengthwise on the lower end of the opening 19 in a right and left direction. Thus, if the thickness of the home-bar door 23 is relatively thicker due to the installation of additional devices, e.g. an LCD unit, a tablet computer and a television set, the stopper 19s hinders the pivoting motion of the home-bar door 23. Accordingly, when the thickness of the home-bar door 23 is increased, there is a problem in that the conventional stopper 19s cannot be applied thereto.